Improvement in abrasive wear resistance of metallocenic polypropylenes by adding siloxane based polymers

• Published in: Materials chemistry and physics 2017-02, Vol.188, p.100-108
• Main Authors: Satti, Angel J., Molinari, Erica C., de Freitas, Augusto G.O., Tuckart, Walter R., Giacomelli, Cristiano, Ciolino, Andrés E., Vallés, Enrique M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abrasive wear; Abrasive wear rate; Additives; Block copolymers; Copolymers; Isotacticity; Metallocenic poly(propylene) (PP); Poly(caprolactone) (PCL); Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS); Polydimethylsiloxane; Polymer blends; Polymers; Polypropylene; Propylene; Rheological properties; Silicone resins; Wear rate; Wear resistance
• ISSN: 0254-0584; 1879-3312
• DOI: 10.1016/j.matchemphys.2016.12.007

In this paper, the abrasive wear behavior of different metallocenic isotactic propylene homo and copolymers was studied along with their mixtures with siloxane based polymers. These mixtures were prepared with poly(dimethylsiloxane) homopolymers of different molar masses, and a block copolymer with ε-caprolactone. The crystallinity degree of the samples, as well as their thermal, mechanical and rheological properties was also studied in order to infer the effect of the presence of the PDMS based additives in the mixtures. Wear rate was decreased in most of the cases, and a dependence with the molecular architecture of the additives was observed. [Display omitted] •Wear rate of metallocenic polypropylenes decreases with lateral chain length.•Addition of siloxane-caprolactone copolymer decreases wear rate up to ten times.•Addition of PDMS as additive decreases wear rate depending on its molecular weight.